On the second day of NBA free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be in the lead regarding moves made to improve their roster and bring back essential players that helped them reach the Western Conference Finals this past season.
Although the Lakers didn’t land a big-name player like Kyrie Irving, Khris Middleton, Kristaps Porzingis, or Brook Lopez, Los Angeles seems to be making all the right moves to address areas of need.
A few other teams in the league made some decent moves, with the Milwaukee Bucks bringing back Middleton and Lopez and the Cleveland Cavaliers bringing in some solid players, but ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins thinks no one has topped what the Lakers have done via NBA on ESPN.
.@KendrickPerkins‘ Big List: Free Agency Winners‼️👀
1️⃣ @Lakers
2️⃣ @cavs
3️⃣ @warriors
4️⃣ @SacramentoKings
5️⃣ @Bucks pic.twitter.com/TmIyMkJZzI— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 1, 2023
Last season, the Lakers went from being one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best after a massive swing at the NBA trade deadline when general manager Rob Pelinka was finally able to part ways with Russell Westbrook and bring back a few key players.
The additions of Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt turned out to be a game-changer for the Lakers, and that success has carried over to the offseason, with the team bringing back all three for another run.
Along with those three returning, the Lakers added Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, and Cam Reddish, while also securing Austin Reaves’ long-term future in Los Angeles.
The Lakers will be as deep as any team in the league next season, which might bode well for a championship run in the twilight of LeBron James’ career.
NEXT:
Graphic Shows How Deep The Lakers Roster Will Be Next Season
